Why am I not Losing Weight?

We come to the end of another holiday season and patients keep telling me they are sure they gained more weight than they ate. It seems the weight goes on a lot easier than it comes off and takes a lot longer than it used to. Here are a few things that will slow or prevent weight loss:

1) Not working out, or working out in the wrong heart rate zone. Although you will burn more calories at a higher heart rate, most fat calories are burned in the lower heart rate zones. There are many websites you can go to calculate where your heart rate should be for optimal weight loss, for a great explanation you can go to http://www.thewalkingsite.com/ Many disease processes can cause your heart rate to change from day to day, so for best results wear a heart monitor.


2) Hormone balance - any hormone imbalance can cause you to gain (or lose) weight. Diabetes, menopause, Cushings, thyroid problems.... these are just a few examples of hormone imbalances. If you eat processed sugar on a daily basis, you most likely have a hormone imbalance or will develop one. The best way to fix a hormone imbalance is not by taking hormones, but by eliminating all processed sugar and working on all the things listed in this blog. There are also adaptogenic herbal supplements that when used properly can help. I find it rare that a person needs to take hormone replacement (unless endocrine organs have been removed) to correct a hormone balance. If you suspect you have a hormone imbalance, I would suggest you see a doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormones, or an alternative care provider who knows how to interpret labwork in functional ranges.


3) Not enough water - water is used to break down sugar and almost everything in your body, so if you want to break down fat be sure to consume more than enough water. The basic formula for water intake is half your body weight in ounces (eg. if you weigh 100 pounds you should be drinking at least 50 ounces of water each day). If you are exercising, sweating, or wanting to loose weight, you will probably have to increase that amount.


4) Toxic environment - Ever notice the people drinking diet drinks are just as fat as the ones drinking the full sugared ones? Our environment is filled with all sorts of toxic substances, from dry cleaned clothing, surgical implants of any sort, tap water, medications, and the list goes on. Read labels, avoid all foods with anything made in a lab or you don't know what it is - did you know all commercial gum contains aspartame, sucralose or both? Besides increased exposure, certain diseases and any hormone imbalance will decrease your body's ability to detoxify itself naturally.


5) Food Sensitivities - (often confused with food allergies) For reasons too long to list in a simple blog, each person is able to digest some foods better than others. When you eat foods that are difficult for you to digest, you will gain weight. My next blog will be on this if you would like additional information.

6) Not Eating Right - Eat breakfast and set your metabolism for the day. Not eating enough will slow your metabolism because your body thinks it's starving. Better than coffee, Green Tea is known to increase metabolism. Start your day with your largest and highest protein meal, then eat small HEALTHY snacks throughout the day eating your lightest lowest carbohydrate, high vegetable meal in the evening. Citrus fruits (especially grapefruit) contain hydroxycitic acid which helps with weight loss. Celery helps to curb appetites. If you do not eat fats your leptin levels will not increase to a level that tells your body you are no longer hungry, just avoid all hydrogenated fats, and limit fried foods. If you are not eating processed food (like flour and sugar), working out five days a week, and following these guidelines - it is unlikely you will ever need to count calories.

Fountain of Youth

"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - Ben Franklin. So let's play....

Crossword puzzles, sudoku, board games, read a book, maybe even a little pac man...... because it is brain exercise, use it or loose it. Change up the games to exercise different parts of your brain.
And of course don't forget to exercise your body; work out, take a hike, run, swim, bike, go horseback riding..... just play. Studies show that the older people get, the less likely we are to exercise and the our muscles will deteriorate faster as we age when not used.

Learn to belly dance, or try yoga, skiing, scuba diving, mountain climbing, tai chi; whenever you learn a new physical skill your brain grows. Some researchers believe our brains do not deteriorate because we age, but because we stop learning new physical activities. We use many parts of our brain when we learn, especially physical activities.

Try something new and healthy to eat, explore, let your taste buds learn. Discover new foods like a child, play. An occasional treat is not bad, but remember what we choose to consume is an expression of who we are.

Get a dog, gather with friends, get a massage, play with some kids, go to work, because who really needs me to quote a study to know that companionship is essential for our emotional health? Laughter, friendship, and a great outlook on life probably influences our health more than any other single thing.

Seek out spiritual guidance, through church, through friends, meditate, spend some time alone in nature or writing, or maybe even drawing. In my silent moments I can hear my inner child telling me what to play. In my silent moments God's voice is not drowned out by the world around me.

The young sapling is beautiful with its fresh green growth reaching for the skies; but it is the tree centuries old with termites, squirrels, and the laugh lines from living well that is truly intriguing. A fountain of youth exists within us all, if we choose to look for it.